So it's that time... what time? Oh yeah, Giveaway time!

Well, since no one other than my dear twitter friend Nikki responded to my last post (hmmm, anyone out there?), I will heed her advice for this next giveaway.

This is an awesome item as it's great for kids and adults! How many of you hate to spray commercial bug spray on your kids and even yourselves? I know I struggled with that for years. Before I was even "crunchy," as some would know call me (which I still never will understand that term along with "granola"... I just say natural or green (which green still doesn't make complete sense, but now your really seeing my over analytical personality come through)) there were certain things I never cared for. I didn't like taking a lot of medicines in general and I was not a fan of spraying deet and chemical filled bug spray on me. However, I did it as I also could not stand mosquito bites - and maybe it's my blood type or something, but they flock to me. Even still if we were to go outside unsprayed in a mosquito filled night for say 5 minutes, my husband might get 2-3 bites, I'd come in with 10-12.

Now, I haven't tried that experiment, but I know it's true. And they itch and get big and it's just no fun. A few years ago we started making our own bug spray with some Purification Essential Oil and water and to my husbands surprise, it worked great! Now some of the same ingredients along with others to stabilize it a little more, we carry the Beat It! Bug Spray. We have been using it this year and love it! I'm not going to list the ingredients here because I want you to go look at the product for yourself, I'm sneaky like that, but will be for a good reason.

Great thing about this item, is it is safe for kids and babies! Of course be sure to not get it in their eyes. It will sting. Had an unfortunate incident where hubby was holding Noah and I asked him to blow on his eyes so he'll close them (though I was just spraying the back of his head/neck area) and well, I sprayed, but didn't think to tell hubby to close his eyes and poor thing, his eyes were burning for a couple minutes. They are just fine now, but that was not fun for him.

OH and I don't know how many customers I have had come into the store and ask about a natural bug spray that is safe for kids, I tell them about this and they say "and does it actually work? Because we've tried "x, y, or z" and it didn't actually work" - well I guarantee, this one DOES!

And on that note, we're gonna give one bottle of the 4 oz bug spray away for a lucky winner to try. Mosquito season is not over yet unfortunately so if you don't win this one, pick one up for yourself too! AND if you are in store, I can do refills for less than what the original bottle costs! How great is that!? Then the bottle can be reused and less waste for all!

Anyhow, how do you win?

First Entry and must do before others:
Go to the Beat it Bug Spray page and comment here with an ingredient that is in the Bug Spray

Other possible entries after 1st is done:
~Tweet the Giveaway @RGNaturalBabies and comment here - allowed once daily for entry, but may tweet several times daily
~Fan RG Natural Babies on Facebook and comment here
~Put a post on your facebook page about the giveaway, make it @RG Natural Babies so it links to the fan page and comment here that you did that! By having it link with the @RG... I will be able to confirm it when it shows up on the fan page- one entry only
~Blog about the giveaway, comment here and put the link to the blog so I can confirm!

Giveaway ends... July 27! Please make sure I have a way to contact you in case you win!

Sorry it's been so long

To all of our readers - we are sorry for not keeping up with our blog. We still have a lot of vision, goals and plans for this blog, just life has limited time a lot.

I, Michelle have been busy opening up our new store front, RG Natural Babies, in Racine, Wisconsin. We had our Grand Opening event on May 28th and have been blessed with the opportunity to share cloth diapers with more people. And while many still don't want to go that route, we have had numerous sales of the reusable swim diapers, which I still count as a success as they keep several swim disposables out of the land fills!

We feel like we are still trying to get settled in - it has been a lot of work and many hours of sacrifice. But we are blessed by the support we have received. It will take a lot of time to grow our business, but there is so much encouragement and a lot of people who have expressed how glad they are that we have opened this store here. We pray that it continues to grow.

Besides the swim diapers, a couple more popular items have been the Natural Sun Screen and Bug Spray that we carry - I must say, these work awesome!

Kristin hasn't had as much time to post either. You can however find her occasionally at the Brookfield Farmers Market on Saturday Mornings. She was off for a few weeks as the volleyball team she coaches made it to Nationals and she had the opportunity to take them down to Florida. They placed 33 out of 127! Way to go Kristin!

She is also working on a new cart for her online store, My Baby Pumpkin, which is going to have a new awesome design, she is enjoying more outside time with her kids this summer, and has a new project she's working on that she'll be sure to announce soon :)

We are excited to say we should be updating more frequently than we have even if life doesn't slow down. AND of course ahead this week will be a giveaway... of what is still being decided as there are so many great options to choose from! I'm thinking either a diaper or possibly one of the summer necessities like bug spray or sun screen - any thoughts and I'd be happy to listen :)

Have a blessed day and I'm happy to be posting again and getting back to making Wisconsin a greener place!

Green New Year Resolutions

'Tis the Season for RESOLUTIONS! Here are some to get you started:

There are many more you can use too just be creative!

After Christmas, in addition to our other ideas:

• Let your kids use the Christmas card backs to color on
• Or one of my personal favorites Mail the fronts of cards UPS "ground" or "bound printed matter" to St. Jude's Card Recycling, 100 St. Jude Street, P.O. Box 60100, Boulder City, NV 89006 and then they reuse them to raise money

What can you start to do in the New Year:

• Use cloth diapers and cloth wipes
  
• Compost (watch for an article on my adventures in this to come in the New Year)
• Plant a tree
• Use cloth cleaning towels
• Get a reusable coffee cup and use it!
• Turn off the water in the shower when you soap
• Use biodegradable laundry soap
• Buy recycled products
• Walk to some of your errands or bike to them
• Consider donating when you do any home remodeling to Habitat for Humanity Restore
• Try canning (this will be another article in the New Year)
• Use Vinegar and baking soda to clean you may be amazed
• Finally remember to recycle!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Kristin

The Green Christmas

Every year through the hustle and bustle, some of the true Christmas Spirit is lost. What is Christmas about? Is it about Santa? Is it about Gifts? Christmas Trees and Sleigh Bells, Snow and Reindeer? Wrapping Presents and Drinking Hot Cocoa?

Okay so maybe some of the stuff is SEASONAL, but lets not forget when Christmas began - a tiny baby was born in the town of Bethlehem, his mother Mary and Joseph. And with God the Fathers prompting, they named him Jesus. This little Baby Boy lying in a manger brought the GREATEST gift of all times. One that no one can top, the gift of Eternal Salvation! We no longer had separation from God, we can now have a personal relationship with him. AMAZING!

So the Spirit of Giving continues because of this amazing Gift we have been giving and we give because Christ gave to us! But let us not forget who the very first giver of life was.

On that note, his Gift was also very environmentally friendly - and of course it was because he wants us to protect the Earth he created!

So now, how can WE be more "green" as we share the Christmas cheer of giving? Here is a ROCK'N way to RECYCLE and REUSE:

1. Reuse Boxes - Instead of getting boxes from Kohl's or other stores that offer FREE boxes with gifts you purchase... you could reuse your Cereal Boxes and put items in there! Even Kleenex boxes

2. Open your gifts neatly - Every year, I save as much of the wrapping paper as I can! Even if there are some rips in the paper, either a bow can be placed over it or you can wrap an item that is smaller and cut off the edges!

3. Collect Tissue Paper - Even when at friends parties, if they are not saving the tissue paper, I ask if I can have it. Why? Because that is a lot of waste that does not need to be wasted!


4. Keep the Bows - Of course the kids always like placing these on their heads and playing with them - but if they don't stick after they are done playing with them, use tape to sticky them onto another gift!

5. Newspaper - Instead of Tissue paper, reuse newspaper ads - or use a certain section of the paper that you know someone would like to wrap their gift. If you know someone who likes jokes, wrap theirs with the Comics. If you are giving a gift to someone who is looking for a job, use the job listings - if they like talking about money and the economy, wrap their gift with that section! Not only are you being green, but thoughtful too! And it's the gift that keeps on giving!

One other idea would be to have your kids color pictures and wrap gifts with the pictures! Who wouldn't love that?

Now if you made it through this - we'd love for you to share your Green Christmas Tips!
Also when we reach 50 Followers, we are blessed to giveaway a $10 Gift Certificate to RG Natural Babies! IF we reach 50 Followers by December 31 - there will also be a $10 Gift Certificate given away from My Baby Pumpkin! If it is after, then the latter will be saved for another giveaway :) There will be a couple ways to enter and the first way is to become and follower and comment with a green Christmas tip or write that you have used one of these options! So that will give you two entries and look our for more ways soon!

So please, have a Merry Christmas from Go Green Wisconsin! Remember the TRUE reason for the season and remember to think of others and what you can do for them this year! And here is a link if you are unfamiliar with the original Christmas Story!

Welcome!!!

Welcome to Go Green Wisconsin Blog! Please bear with us as we continue to get our blog up and running!

We are two families in Southeast Wisconsin that are doing our best to make choices that will benefit our children and generations to come. One way we know how is to protect the Earth we have been Blessed with by recycling, reducing, and reusing! We want to help you do the same - AND we want your ideas!

If you have a "Green" business in Wisconsin and would like to be featured on this blog, please let us know. From time to time, we may feature a business that is not from Wisconsin if we cannot find a resource here, but we also know one way of "reducing" is by purchasing within our own community to avoid longer shipping miles. We welcome online business and store fronts just the same!